The Midnight Flavas
by HawaiianCaffeine
Summary: What first got Naru started on this was just pure curiosity. And boredom. Naru was always the one who loved to solve mysteries. Who'd ever think that it'd lead him to start something else? NaruXMai.Humor.. and mystery if you consider it as such, lol. R


**The Midnight Flavas**

What first got Naru started on this was just pure curiosity. And boredom.

He was cranking out another night of work with lots of files and paperwork when he found himself waking up hours later at his desk, at midnight.

He slowly peeled the papers of his cheek and resisted trying to smooth out the indents that were made on his face. Feeling tired after a long case and then another long day of doing paperwork on said case, Naru stood up and started to put his desk in order.

He methodically put all the stuff where it needed to be and the stuff that he needed to take home, in a business suite case. He clicked it closed and opened his office door into the lounge room.

As he was in the middle of shrugging on his coat, he had to pause to stare at the couch that was sitting innocently where it was supposed to be. –Not that there was anything particularly interesting about the couch, but what was _on_ the couch, that had caught his attention.

Naru had taken notice of a short brown haired girl sleeping soundly on the cushions and apparently very comfortable.

He let slip a sigh as he shrugged the coat back off and set it down on the long table in front of the couch. She must have fallen asleep waiting for him.

At the very second he was going to yell at Mai to wake up, get off her butt, and go home, a thought occurred to him.

You see—he was actually very close to her face considering he had checked to see if she really was asleep. Obviously she was, considering her stillness and even breaths. But he had caught a scent from her breath that he couldn't place.

Naru blinked as he leaned back down to smell it. What _was_ that?

As it happens, Naru's sense of _taste_ was actually better than his sense of _smell_—but—

No.

Naru's straightened up as he grabbed his coat and started to pull it on. There was _no way_ that he was going to do any such thing. He quickly grabbed his suite case and was about to continue what he was doing before with waking her up in a most rude manner when he just—stopped.

His gaze had gone to her again and without thinking, he had already put down the suite case that he had picked up.

Shrug.

Well—what could it hurt? It was just once, anyway.

So, Naru easily leaned down and kissed her.

It was obviously meant to be short, sweet, and done. –But what he _didn't_ expect was for her to _react_.

It was such a shock that Naru immediately stopped all previous actions and stood up straight once more. At first he had thought she had woken up. By her actions, it sure seemed like it. But when he looked down at her, he found her breathing evenly—and she seemed to have just started her REM sleep as her eyes started moving underneath her eyelids. Had he gotten her to start dreaming? Or was that why she hadn't woken up? It's supposed to be difficult to wake up then so that was probably it.

In any case—he'd finally got what it was that her breath smelt like—Cantaloupe. It was truly weird, but refreshing—when had she eaten _Cantaloupe, _of all things??

Naru shrugged, now that the mystery was solved.

Once again he was going to wake her up—when he, once again—stopped himself.

What was the point in waking her up? In the end, he would insist that she accompany him home considering the danger magnet that she was—she would sense something, but ignore it and refuse help—he would insist—so would she—she'd stomp off on her own, home—he'd silently follow her to make sure she wouldn't get in any trouble—she'd get attacked—he'd save her and create a whole new mess.

Of course there was always the off chance that he'd just throw her in the car and make her come with him while he drove her home—but then that would surly just piss her off and create an awkward silence that he didn't want or feel like dealing with at this hour.

So—in order to avoid all—excuse my language—the bullshit, he picked her up along with his suite case, got in his car, and drove her home. He easily found her 'hidden' key above her door and let himself in. He put her on her bed, left, shut the door behind him, locked the door once again and put the key back where he'd gotten it.

Naru idly thought about having to have a talk with her later about the too obvious places to hide extra keys as he started up his engine to drive home. It was way to easy to get into her house.

* * *

As it happens, it was only a few nights later that it turned out to be a lot like that night before.

Naru had finally fallen asleep after working for twenty-four hours straight and then found himself waking up at midnight just to exit the room and see the exhausted Mai, splayed out all over the couch in the lounge room.

This time he didn't need to lean down to see if she was asleep—but curiosity got the best of him again as he did lean down and get a whiff of her breath. Odd again. Dang it! Now why couldn't he come up with the answer?

He knew he probably shouldn't try it again and an annoying voice in the back of his head said he was pushing luck, but he did, indeed, try it again.

Naru moved back, just as fast as the first time that he had done it because once again, Mai had reacted by kissing back as if she was awake.

Why did she do that? Naru supposed that it was just her subconscious—an instinctual reaction that her body just did. She probably couldn't or wouldn't be able to do much of anything else—but still. What if somebody else had been doing this while she was asleep and didn't even know it?

Naru snorted. Idiotic. Who would do something like that? He'd probably eat them up and spit them out alive if they even tried—even thought—about doing something like that. Not to mention the girl was watched like a hawk by her surrogate family. If he didn't kill them, they sure would.

Cinnamon. That was what she tasted—her breath smelt like this time. Not like real cinnamon though—more like toothpaste cinnamon.

Like last time, Naru put on his coat, picked up his suite case as well as Mai, and drove her home. It worked well last time, so might as well stick with what worked.

He stepped out of the vehicle with her—and true to her word from the day before, when he had spoken to her about it which included an indignant fight about how "I do not hide my keys in obvious places! Besides your just a jerk narcissist, so there!"—he had too look in less obvious places for her spare keys. It was blatantly clear that she had been embarrassed that he thought that she wasn't good at hiding her keys and had moved them.

Naru shrugged. Whatever works.

He once again put her in her bed and left with her door locked once again and then drove home again.

* * *

The next night, Naru did not fall asleep having finally gotten a decent amount of sleep. But that didn't stop him from working till midnight in his office.

This time Naru walked into the lounge room, fulling expecting to see an empty room. He didn't get what he expected.

He sighed at her stubbornness.

He had _told_ her to go home and just let him lock up—but no—"I don't want you to be alone here so late, Naru!"

Sigh. She could be so irritating.

Naru could feel the effects of habit coming on as he gathered his stuff, put his coat on—and before giving it any real though, leaned down. Another smell. Another _unknown_ smell. This was starting to get frustrating!

Annoyed, he leaned down further to get another kiss—this time he _didn't_ completely jump back like he got bit by a snake. It was sad to think that he was actually getting use to this—routine. He didn't kiss for very long, but it was noticeable that he had _not_ hated it.

Sitting back up straight he thought for a second.

"Lime. _Key-lime_ pie. Where in the hell did she get _pie_?"

Naru picked her up easily and did the day before routine of taking her home and putting her to bed as he tried to scratch out this new mystery.

But then—this also brought a new idea.

* * *

Mai skidded in to the SPR office early in the morning, feeling bubbly and happy! I mean—the sun was shining—she had had a good sleep—the birds were chirping—there was a light breeze and the traffic was down to a minimal—what was there to be unhappy with?

"Mai! Stop being an idiot and get tea!"

And good feeling gone.

Now more considerably deflated, Mai made her way into the office's small kitchen and started preparing more tea. Just as she was about to grab the teapot, something caught her eye on the table.

Mai paused as her hand wrapped around a container of mangoes. Who was it from? She saw a bow around it and looked for a tag to say whom it was from. She found it underneath.

_**From**__: Your boss_

_Don't make a mess. I'm not cleaning it up._

Mai squealed as she jumped into Naru's office and thanked him a thousand times before going back to make him his long awaited tea and deciding to wait to eat it till after she was done with her work for the day.

* * *

Naru tensed as he heard his clock strike midnight with small, _beep!_

Naru hadn't even fought with Mai this time about her going home when he told her too. He'd just said, "Go home." and if she didn't, then that was up to her.

As he walked out of his private office, he easily found that—no—she had no left and—yes—she had fallen asleep again.

Naru's gaze shifted to the table with the empty container. That same gaze shifted to Mai's breath (coughLIPScough).

Instead of leaning over in an uncomfortable, awkward, and backbreaking position, he knelt down and tried once again. Once again a reaction from the passed out Mai and a kiss a little longer this time. But just a little.

Naru stood up again and started his routine as he let his thought process wander to the fact that his experiment had been a success . . . and what else he could get her breath to smell like?

* * *

And so it was over the next couple weeks that either Naru let himself be surprised at what her "breath smelt" like, or he would give her different random things to try.

Mai was once surprised to find a different array of ice cream on the "employees are allowed to eat" side in the freezer. Of course she was giddy from that day forward until one day she started mixing odd combinations, much to Naru's displeasure. The next day, the ice cream was gone.

Sometimes her breath was great. Sometimes it tasted terrible. Thus did he start to buy her lunch as well, after an onion incident that he would prefer to not repeat.

And it happened so slowly . . . so unsuspiciously that Naru had never _guessed_—no, never _realized_ that it had happened at all. He soon found himself kissing poor sleeping Mai every night—just a little longer every night. Of course, he stopped himself every single time. Obviously, it would not do to have a very pissed Mai on his hands if she had woken up during any time at the night—for she _would_ wake up if he waited to long.

So it all worked out. He kept himself under control—all the while saying that he just had to solve another mystery—and he got to keep doing what he'd been doing for a short while now, every night.

But, as all things go, good things don't last long, and it so happened that Mai had to leave on a short vacation trip with her class for three days. No more nights. No more mysteries. No more kisses. No more Mai. What is an addict to do? Wait and fidget I suppose.

Anyone might feel bad for the poor Lin who had to put up with an irate Naru _for three days_.

* * *

Mai came bursting in like she always does after her three-day vacation. Once again she was feeling happy and bubbly! The sun was shining—birds chirping—trees swaying—

"MAI! I need tea, NOW!"

Mai jumped out of her skin and into the kitchen as she hurriedly tried to whip up some tea. Naru was sounding extra tired and angry today. . . .

She was surprised as she started making more tea, that some tea had already been made before-hand—before she had walked in. Apparently he was more desperate than what she had first thought. . . .

* * *

Mai shoved the door open with her shoulder as she hurriedly brought in the tray with tea on it. She was starting to wonder if maybe she should have baked cookies or something for the exhausted and angry boss. . . .

Mai almost dropped her tray before setting it down as she realized how really haggard the guy seemed. She had to cover a laugh at the guy. Sometimes she forgot that the narcissist was really only a year or two older than her. Served him right, the jerk, for being such a workaholic. She'd told him to get more sleep and stop going home so late every night! He was lucky she was so nice to stay with him every night, even if she did fall asleep!

Mai smiled on the inside triumphantly. See! Everyone needs people—even the ice cold Naru! She knew staying with him did some good!

Naru had to visibly hold on to the chair to keep himself from lunging at her. Mai seemed to get the wrong idea from this and thought him to be in trouble or sick; she rushed over to Naru, and started holding up the back of her hand against Naru's forehead. Poor ignorant Mai.

"Are you okay, Naru? I told you all this extra work without any human contact wasn't good for you. Have you been getting any sleep?"

"Mai—just go get some more tea. I'm fine."

Still worried, but doing as she was told, she left to go make some more tea.

Naru visibly relaxed and sigh into his chair.

Lin, who had seen this whole exchanged, popped at Naru's door and said, "I really don't want to know…" and walked away.

Naru passed his hand over his face. This was going to be a _really_ long day.

* * *

Naru had not known _how right_ he was when he'd thought that about it being a really long day.

He could swear that every minute that passed was actually an _hour_ and that the clock was _literally_ his enemy. It was like every time the hour passed, it seemed to set back another two hours.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. . . ._

**_Five more hours. . . ._**

Naru continued his shuffling of paper. It figures that tonight would be the night that he wouldn't have any more work to accomplish. Feeling the effects of annoyance, he yelled for more tea rudely.

Hey! leave the poor man alone. He was Mai-deprived.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. . . .._

**_Four more hours. . . ._**

Naru stood up to go bathroom.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. . . ._

**_Three more hours. . . ._**

He turned on his computer to make it look like he was actually doing something.

Mai popped her head in.

"Are you sure you don't want to just go home early—just for tonight? You don't seem so good. . . ."

"Shut up, Mai."

Mai ignored the his bad temper considering he didn't seem so well.

". . .Do you want some tea?"

Naru glared.

Muttering while walking out the door, she said, "Fine then . . . _I'll_ drink it. . . ."

Mai gave one last huff before slamming the door.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. . . ._

**_One more hour. . . ._**

Naru paced the room, back and forth. Damn that clock! Why wasn't it midnight yet?!

He rolled his eyes as he fell into his chair with exhaustion. Finally he took out a book and intently read the same paragraph for what seemed like forever.

Naru jumped as the clock struck midnight with a soft, but annoying, 'beep!'

Thank God . . .

Naru threw the book away as he flung open the door.

He had to pause in his striding over to Mai. The woman was still awake.

Barely—but awake.

Mai looked groggily up at the blurry form underneath her tired eyes.

Looking down at the girl Naru said, (a little more than irked,) "Mai—what are you doing, still awake?"

The brown haired assistant blinked slowly.

"I—uh—wanted to stay . . . awake . . . yeah, awake with you . . . with you being . . . sick and all . . . but I seem . . . to be kind of . . . tired. . . ."

The girl yawned loudly.

"Naru?"

Naru continued his stare (an unbelieving stare considering his bad luck.)

"Can you . . . take me home now? I'm kinda tired . . . and I don't think I'll make it . . . on my own. . . ."

Oh the irony.

Naru clenched his hands and took in a breath and counted to ten. Now breathe out. Woosh. He'd just go kill himself later. Not now.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed and said, "Yes—come on."

Naru grabbed his stuff and continued his methodical ways of picking her up and putting her in his vehicle and buckling her in.

He drove her to the house, stopped, unbuckled her, picked her up, opened the front door, and walked in.

Sighing, he set her down on her bed (once again), and started to tuck her in. And that's when it hit him.

She was finally, now, asleep.

He stopped all movement. Maybe he wouldn't die after all.

Naru tucked his knees underneath him as he brought himself down to her level in a more comfortable position.

Only thing going through his mind was the fact that he had had no Mai for three days.

**Three days**.

Naru leaned down.

**72 Hours**.

Naru kissed her and she reacted immediately.

"Thank God, Mai is so predictable" was the only thing going through his mind as he felt a pleasant feeling run through his body all the way down to his toes.

**4320 Minutes**.

Now was about the time that Naru stopped, leaned back, and walked away, but it was at this time that he realized that Mai had drank the tea that she had made for him. His favourite tea—which was now the taste in Mai's mouth—and really—how was he supposed to fight that and everything else that was weighing against him at the moment?

**259200 Seconds**.

Naru _had_ to let go now. Except he didn't—which would explain the groggy face that was slowly sliding her eyes open. Of course, poor deprived Naru, didn't notice till too late—or he might have been able to play it off as her just being sleepy. Except he couldn't. Not now.

Naru felt words forming in the other mouth and pulled away to see a shock-eyed Mai. Then Naru thought what any, reasonable, teenager might think in a situation like this.

Oh shit.

"What the—Naru—what are you—no what _were_ you—where are we—how did _you_—what in the _hell_?"

Naru winced inwardly as he stood up and took a step back. He belatedly thought about bringing earplugs—not that he showed that he did anything wrong on his face. I mean—come on! This is Naru that we're talking about! He doesn't do _any_thing wrong!

. . .

Right.

After a few minutes of thoughts, ideas, and conclusions rolling around in Mai's head, she finally found a suitable one.

Naru had lost is _goddamned_ _mind_. Or she had lost hers. Whichever.

Finally she decided to ask and hopefully give Naru a fighting chance, "What were you doing Naru?!"

Naru remained silent for a moment.

Then, "I believe I was kissing you."

Mai blinked.

"Well—_duh_—I kind of _got_ that—but—_why_?"

But before Naru could answer, Mai (finally, for once) got an epiphany.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Naru?! Were you making out with me—while I was _asleep_?"

But—once again, before Naru could answer—a few more light bulbs went off in Mai's head.

"—Naru?! And how long has this been going on?! And was I—kissing you back?!"

Mai was silent in this realization. She kiss him _back_. While _asleep_.

Naru spoke up with an informative voice, "That was most likely instinct. I've told you, you're a lot like an animal. You react to actions. When someone is nice to you—your pleasant back. When someone is accusing you, you are defensive. When you are cornered—you try to run and if that is not possible, you fight. When a relative, or close friend is injured, you are angry and sad, and try to defend them. When someone offends you—you tell them exactly what you feel, right when you feel it, with no thought of consequence. When you are kissed—like when asleep—you kiss back. You tend to do predictable behaviour, as I've said."

Stupid Naru . . . and stupid . . . smart-ness. . . .

Mai paused.

With a scary voice she started, "Naru."

Eyes narrow. A step forward.

"Is that why you gave me all those 'sweet' gifts of fruit and food?"

Then the tirade ran as Mai literally imploded right before exploding on Naru.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING EVERY NIGHT BEFORE TAKING ME HOME?! NARU! YOU STUPID, SELFISH, EGOTSISTICAL, SMART, IDIOT!"

Naru decided not to point out the oxymoron of that statement.

"AND—AND GAHH! I mean—isn't this sexual ASSAULT or something?! JEEZ—I can't BELIEVE you!! It FIGURES that you'd do something so—NARCISSISTIC—AND—and—SELFISH! I mean—HERE I am—PINING—away my love for you and here you are—KISSING ME—while I'm ASLEEP! Always so damn SELFISH!! GAH! STUPID MANLY PRIDE! CAN'T EVER JUST COME OUT AND SAY—"

Mai had to pause as she noticed the proximity of her "beloved" (snort) Naru.

Still angry, Mai backed up away from Naru with a glare. He stepped up to her with a sigh and put his hands on both her shoulders to force her to stay and looked at him.

"Mai. Calm down."

Mai glared, not realizing that she was holding her breath in anger.

"I want you to breathe. In and out—_now_."

Mai crumbled under his glare with a few choice words under her breath.

With a sigh she continued her glare escapade down on her shoes since she didn't feel the ability to look up at the person she was angry at.

"Your still a stupid, jerk, idiotic, selfish, conceited, bad—bad—bad—guy! And—and—only thinks about himself—"

"And who loves you."

Mai blinked owlishly as her boss rested his forehead on hers.

"Your breath smells like tea."

Blink, blink.

And then, as if practiced for a short while (which it was), Naru leaned in to kiss her again.

—And damn her, she was reacting again! No—she was angry with him—damn it! Stop—dang it! Stupid, stupid instincts. –But he was _right there_ and was so good at kissing—damn!

_. . . A minute later . . . _

"Your still not off the hook."

Glare.

Naru chuckled as he stepped back and started to put on his coat again and walk to the door.

"Hey—hey! You can't just do that—and then—but—eh?!"

Amusement shining, he opened the door with a, "Goodnight, Mai—see you tomorrow."

"Wah—huh?"

He turned his body to catch a glimpse of Mai.

"And I think I'd like you to make some more of that tea tomorrow as well."

Before her righteous indignation could kick in, he was out the door, and already in his vehicle.

Naru revved his engine on and changed gears into drive.

It always seemed weird to Mai in years to come about how Naru ever came to have started doing such a thing that would end up pushing the two together—but then—

Naru was always the one who loved to solve mysteries. Who'd ever know that it'd lead him to start something else?

Naru smirked, as he could already taste the next midnight flavor.

But then—wasn't love an unending mystery in itself as well?

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_Oh the cheesy goodness—got to love the cheesy goodness._

_I thought it was sweet. So there. That's all that matters. So there._

_I hope you liked it. I'd been thinking about this one for a short while, so I couldn't stop myself from typing it out._

_I liked it, so I'm happy. –And—I would like to take the chance to say—HAH! Take that you romantist authors! In your face! M'buahahahahaha!! Ha! (grin). Yeah. I'm not very good at romance. But I think I at least get brownie points for trying, right? Maybe? Kind of? No? Eh._

_Read and Review._

_I've also, recently, tried to fix just a few of my many errors in grammar for this story._

_Thank you._

_**Disclaimer**__: I own nothing. Not Ghost Hunt. Not it's characters. Nor ice cream. Only the plot… I think… eh, I'd probably have to even look that up in the rules to see if I even own THAT…ah well…_

_Rock on and payce out_


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